Why people skills lead to project success: towards dynamic conditions for people skills and leadership in project management

Abstract

This research explores the crucial role that people skills play in achieving project success in modern, complex project environments. As part of the UK’s post-pandemic recovery strategy, the government committed £5.6 billion towards infrastructure projects, but project professionals are tasked with navigating increasingly dynamic conditions. Historically, as few as 20% of projects have fully met their planned objectives, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of success factors. Through research commissioned by the Association for Project Management (APM), we examine how project success is currently defined and how people skills, encompassing communication, emotional intelligence, leadership, and problem-solving, contribute to these outcomes. The survey conducted as part of this investigation illustrates that an overwhelming 97% of respondents identified these interpersonal skills as either important or highly significant to project success, thus affirming their pervasive and dynamic role as the foremost determinant of positive outcomes. These findings further infer that the cultivation of such skills compels direct, real-world engagement, wherein mentorship, hands-on experience, and the adaptation of innovative training modalities are dominant. In this vein, we present strategic recommendations aimed at fostering these skills within project teams, thereby enhancing project professionals' capacity to navigate the complex and often transient conditions of modern project landscapes. Specifically, through the development of a Dynamic Framework for People Skills and Leadership in Project Management conceptual framework, which outlines six key areas for practitioners, prioritising people skills, personalised leadership development, enhanced training methods, mentorship programmes, career pathway flexibility, and risk management in training.

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ORCID for Nicholas Dacre: orcid.org/0000-0002-9667-9331

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